HARRISONBURG, Va. – The ULM women's basketball team (11-17, 7-10) remains on the road for the final game of the regular season, facing leader of the Sun Belt James Madison (26-4, 17-0). Tip-off in the Atlantic Union Bank Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on Friday (Feb. 28). The Warhawks are on the hunt for a win to close the regular season, while the Dukes are looking to finish the regular season perfect in conference play.
SERIES HISTORY –
The Warhawks and the Dukes will be competing for the second time in the series, a series dating back to last season. ULM is looking to claim their first win over JMU, having not won against them. The lone matchup for the two teams was Dec. 30, 2023, when the Dukes defeated ULM 79-85 in Monroe. This will be the first trip to Harrisonburg for the Warhawks.
SCOUTING THE DUKES –
The Dukes are looking to continue on their 18-game win streak and undefeated Sun Belt streak, most recently claiming a win over Georgia State, 80-74. Peyton McDaniel leads the team in points per game (16.2), also leading in three-point percentage (.341) and fre throw percentage (.860). McDaniel picked up 11 boards over the Panthers and a double-double against App State. McDaniel has won Sun Belt Player of the Week four times. Kseniia Kozlova picked up 22 points to lead the team over Georgia State, averaging 12.4 rebounds per game. Roshala Scott and Ashanti Barnes both score in double figures as well, averaging 11.0 and 10.2 points per game, respectively.
LEADING THE TEAM –
Jakayla Johnson currently leads the team in points per game (15.5), three-point percentage (.361), assists (94) and steals (50). Johnson is second in the Sun Belt in free throw percentage (.820), third in points per game and and seventh in field goal percentage (.408).
Sakyia White picked up a 16-rebound performance vs. Tulane (Dec. 21) and two 14-rebound showings, last at Troy (Feb. 12). After snagging 21 boards against Marshall (Feb. 26), White leads the team in rebounds per game (8.7), ranking second in the Sun Belt.
Meloney Thames has reached the 20+-point mark six times this season, most recently versus Troy (Feb. 20), scoring 22. She has led the team in scoring 10 times, averaging 13.6 points per game. Thames can frequently be found shooting beyond the arc, most recently shooting 5-8 (.625) from three against Troy.
DOUBLE DOUBLE–
Laila Walker logged the team's first double-double of the season against Louisiana Christian (Nov. 11), posting 10 points and 11 rebounds. The achievement was also Walker's first career double-double. Jakayla Johnson and Katlyn Manuelfollowed closely behind, credited with the team's second and third double-doubles of the season. The most recent double-double achieved by a Warhawk was Sakyia White, who recorded 17 points and 21 rebounds at Marshall (Feb. 26).
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Friday's game will be available on KMLB 105.7 FM/540 AM with Adam Holland on the call. Streaming will be available for games on ESPN+. Links to live stats for all games, when available, can be found at ULMWarhawks.com. Navigate to the women's basketball schedule page and select that day's opponent.
LOOKING AHEAD –
The women's basketball team will hit Pensacola to compete in the Sun Belt Basketball Championships. The conference tournament will be taking place March 4-10 at the Pensacola Bay Center.
